crash utility help page: union

NAME
union - union contents
SYNOPSIS
union union_name[.member[,member]] [-o][-l offset][-rfuxdp]
[address | symbol][:cpuspec] [count | -c count]
DESCRIPTION
This command displays either a union definition, or a formatted display
of the contents of a union at a specified address. When no address is
specified, the union definition is shown along with the union size.
A union member may be appended to the structure name in order to limit
the scope of the data displayed to that particular member; when no address
is specified, the member's offset (always 0) and definition are shown.
union_name name of a C-code union used by the kernel.
.member name of a union member; to display multiple members of a
union, use a comma-separated list of members.
-o show member offsets when displaying union definitions; the
offset is always 0 unless used with an address or symbol
argument, in which case each member will be preceded by its
virtual address.
-l offset if the address argument is a pointer to a list_head structure
that is embedded in the target union structure, the offset
to the list_head member may be entered in either of the
following manners:
1. in "structure.member" format.
2. a number of bytes.
-r raw dump of union data.
-f address argument is a dumpfile offset.
-x override default output format with hexadecimal format.
-d override default output format with decimal format.
-p if a union member is a pointer value, show the member's
data type on the output line; and on the subsequent line(s),
dereference the pointer, display the pointer target's symbol
value in brackets if appropriate, and if possible, display the
target data; requires an address argument.
-u address argument is a user virtual address in the current
context.
address hexadecimal address of a union; if the address points
to an embedded list_head structure contained within the
target union structure, then the "-l" option must be used.
symbol symbolic reference to the address of a union.
:cpuspec CPU specification for a per-cpu address or symbol:
: CPU of the currently selected task.
:a[ll] all CPUs.
:#[-#][,...] CPU list(s), e.g. "1,3,5", "1-3",
or "1,3,5-7,10".
count count of unions to dump from an array of unions; if used,
this must be the last argument entered.
-c count "-c" is only required if "count" is not the last argument
entered or if a negative number is entered; if a negative
value is entered, the (positive) "count" structures that
lead up to and include the target structure will be displayed.
Union data, sizes, and member offsets are shown in the current output radix
unless the -x or -d option is specified.
Please note that in the vast majority of cases, the "union" command
name may be dropped; if the union name does not conflict with any crash
or gdb command name, then the "union_name[.member]" argument will be
recognized as a union name, and this command automatically executed.
See the NOTE below.
EXAMPLES
Display the bdflush_param union definition, and then an instance of it:
crash> union bdflush_param
union bdflush_param {
struct {
int nfract;
int ndirty;
int nrefill;
int nref_dirt;
int dummy1;
int age_buffer;
int age_super;
int dummy2;
int dummy3;
} b_un;
unsigned int data[9];
}
SIZE: 36 (0x24)
crash> union bdflush_param bdf_prm
union bdflush_param {
b_un = {
nfract = 40,
ndirty = 500,
nrefill = 64,
nref_dirt = 256,
dummy1 = 15,
age_buffer = 3000,
age_super = 500,
dummy2 = 1884,
dummy3 = 2
},
data = {40, 500, 64, 256, 15, 3000, 500, 1884, 2}
}
NOTE
If the union name does not conflict with any crash command name, the
"union" command may be dropped. Accordingly, the examples above could
also have been accomplished like so:
crash> bdflush_param
crash> bdflush_param bdf_prm
Lastly, the short-cut "*" (pointer-to) command may also be used to negate
the need to enter the "union" command name (enter "help *" for details).